Newborns with 3mm ventricular septal defect and unclosed foramen ovale do not need surgery for the time being if they are asymptomatic and do not affect hemodynamics, regular review of the cardiac ultrasound will be sufficient.
Generally babies with ventricular septal defects have a tendency to heal on their own. If the ventricular septal defect is less than 5mm and is not accompanied by any other complications, regular review can be done until the age of 5 years old, and then surgery can be done before school age. If the ventricular septal defect is larger than 5mm, and if the baby suffers from frequent colds and pneumonia, surgery is recommended as early as possible.
Within 1 year of birth, most babies’ foramen ovale will close on its own, especially if the foramen ovale is less than 5mm. Therefore, babies under 1 year old do not need to be too alarmed when their foramen ovale is found to be unclosed, and the heart ultrasound should be repeated every six months. If the skin around the mouth and nose is bruised when the baby cries or holds his/her breath, or if the baby’s growth and development are affected, timely surgery is recommended.
If your baby has any of the above problems, specialist outpatient follow-up is recommended, with surgery if necessary.